Tune Up Tips Vol 4 : Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Well now it’s time for the most expensive side of the upgrade scale. This is one of the hardest upgrades to complete because there is so much involved. The first bit of data that you need is whether or not your current motherboard can accept a new or more powerful processor. This is based on socket type, cpu voltage, and bios support.

When do you know if you need a CPU upgrade? Well if the computer seems to be chugging along you can open up the Task Manger as discussed in our previous post. In the performance tab you can check out how your CPU is handling what you are throwing at it.

If the motherboard can accept a better performing processor then you may be in luck. The new AMD Ryzen series is a great example. You can build a base computer with a Ryzen 3 processor, yet the same motherboard may take a Ryzen 5 or better yet a Ryzen 7.

A new CPU can run anywhere between $150 and $1200.  While this generally improves performance, we recommend you read our blogs on upgrading SSD, RAM and graphic cards first since they tend to provide more noticeable benefits at a cheaper cost. 

Really what it comes down to is making sure that all of your hardware is compatible. Normally if you have the model of your motherboard, a PC repair shop such as ours (XpertPc+) can recommend the best CPU that your motherboard can support. Be sure to always check the system requirements to make sure that your PC or Laptop can keep up!